25.8.10

Selamat Tengah Hari, Malaysia, Oct.2009



Posted: Aug.2010, Written Oct.2009

Taman Negara national park is where I've been the past couple days....a 130 million year old rainforest and home to the largest flower on earth and the largest trees on earth! Also, wild tigers, elephants, hornbills (my favorite birds!), and of course the most incredible trekking trails :) I went trekking for 6 hours straight the other day...granted 2 of those hours were just getting to and across the canopy walkway---a foot bridge suspended 40 meters above ground, into the canopy, and known as the longest canopy walk in the world! I was in jungle heaven!

Writing now from Melaka, Malaysia right now---an old colonial sea port town that used to belong to the Portuguese during the 14th century. The buildings and architecture here are stunning, and the setting takes you back in time so easily. The avenues are lined with churches, cathedrals, forts, temples (Chinese and Indian) and mosques. The main mode of transport is a rickshaw, bound in scarves and flowers of every color.

I stayed up late last night listening to Indian Karaoke from the bar downstairs from my room, and woke up at the crack of 5 am to the call to prayer from the local mosque. The chanting was lulling me to sleep happily until 6:30am all chaos broke loose. In Chinese tradition, police officers from the station next door decided it was time for calisthenics---which of course required a booming stereo and a megaphone!

Things are exciting as ever. Tomorrow I'm taking a 5 hour bus journey to Singapore...although things sound like they're going to be ridiculously expensive there...so maybe one night only? I'll check out a couple museums, free after 6 pm!, have one Singapore Sling on a rooftop somewhere, then catch a flight out of there---to Borneo!

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